The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed X Corp, which owns Twitter, to disclose basic subscriber information (BSI) and other details of five accounts on the platform that are allegedly sharing clips of Shah Rukh Khan’s film Jawan slated for release on September 7. The High Court was hearing an application moved by production house Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, seeking a direction to the platform to disclose BSI, IP addresses, registered emails, and other relevant details in their possession with respect to five Twitter accounts. Appearing for Red Chillies, advocate Nizam Pasha argued that there had been some additional leaks and the “nature of the leaks very clearly suggests that persons involved had access to the production company's systems”. Pasha, who appeared along with advocates Parag Khandar and Chandrima Mitra, said he was seeking "subscriber information" on the five Twitter accounts. X Corp has been substituted in place of Twitter as defendant number 2 in an order passed by the HC on May 11, after the court was informed that with effect from March 15 this year Twitter was merged with X Corp. A single-judge bench of Justice C Hari Shankar after hearing the parties said, "The court directs defendant 2 to provide information in respect of the said five accounts… as an additional document with advance copy to the plaintiff so that they can take appropriate steps". The court directed that the information be provided within 10 days and disposed of the application. On April 25, the HC had passed an interim order in the production house's application restraining several rogue websites and internet service and cable providers and other platforms, from displaying, copying and recording any stills, audio/video clips, songs, recordings or other information relating to Jawan without a proper licence. “Given the principles of prima facie case, the balance of convenience and irreparable loss, the plaintiff is entitled to interlocutory injunctive relief even at this stage,” the HC had said clarifying that the order will remain in force till the next date of hearing. The court had also issued summons to all defendants in the main lawsuit and listed the matter for hearing in July. It had further directed Twitter, YouTube, Google, and Reddit to immediately block and take down all infringing contents described at URLs mentioned in Red Chillies plea, which was filed by DSK Legal. The court had also directed, “defendants 6 to 40 and all others acting on their behalf are directed to block access to the websites/webpages mentioned in Schedule B to the plaint, as well as any mirror/alphanumeric/redirect website thereof". The court had said that if any other such content comes up on the internet and to the knowledge of the production company, it would be free to immediately intimate Internet Service Providers and other defendants mentioned in the plea who would "promptly take down/block access to the said content".
